Red Claws Reportedly Opting Out Of NBA G League Bubble
BOSTON (CBS) -- It doesn't look like there will be a Maine Red Claws season this year. The Red Claws -- the G League affiliate of the Boston Celtics -- are reportedly opting out of the NBA's proposed bubble season in Atlanta.
The news comes via Jared Weiss of The Athletic, who reported Sunday that Maine will not participate in the NBA's proposed Atlanta bubble for the G League. The league has proposed about 12 games leading up to a tournament for G League teams, all taking place on a bubble campus in Atlanta as the league deals with the COVID-19 pandemic.
The G League does not have any plans for a second phase yet, and Weiss is reporting that the Red Claws "expect to punt on the season unless there are further developments."
A handful of other teams are expected to opt out as well. And it really won't have too big of an impact on the Boston Celtics in 2020-21, though they certainly have a handful of younger players who could have spent time with Maine this season.
Boston has a pair of two-way players in Tacko Fall and Tremont Waters, both of whom spent a considerable amount of time with Maine during their rookie seasons. Waters won G League Rookie of the Year Honors with the Red Claws last season. Romeo Langford and Carsen Edwards also spent time with the Red Claws as rookies.
But the NBA's rules on two-way players have been relaxed significantly this year, with players eligible to play in up to 50 games with their NBA teams. Last year, two-way players were restricted to just 45 days with their NBA teams, whether it was games or practices.
With a 72-game season in 2020-21, Fall and Waters will likely spend the entire season with Boston now. They are essentially going to be an extension of the 15-man roster. Including Fall and Waters, the Celtics' roster is at the maximum of 17 players.